Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 26, 2024

730 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Winter Livestock (Tuesday) report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $306.35/cwt -16.46 vs last sale · ≈ $1,631/hd at 532 lb · 60 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $319.13/cwt +18.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,873/hd at 587 lb · 46 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $279.84/cwt +29.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,716/hd at 613 lb · 43 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 730 1,309 1,384
Feeder cattle 499 902 1,230
Slaughter cattle 145 199 129
Replacement cattle 86 208 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold mostly 4.00 to 9.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers were too light for an accurate test. Slaughter cows sold unevenly steady while slaughter bulls sold 5.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Tuesday April 2, 2024.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505–531 fancy 518 27 342.00–348.00 $343.65 $1,780 —
501–547 529 10 319.00–322.00 $320.86 $1,697 +3.36
585–587 587 46 319.00–321.00 $319.13 $1,873 +19.13
619 619 5 293.00 $293.00 $1,814 -0.04
633 thin fleshed 633 17 300.00 $300.00 $1,899 —
668 668 20 285.00 $285.00 $1,904 +30.50
745 745 8 246.00 $246.00 $1,833 -2.00
770 770 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,840 +8.00
808 808 6 234.00 $234.00 $1,891 -0.34
870–871 871 26 221.00–222.50 $222.04 $1,934 +19.04
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 2 331.00 $331.00 $1,466 +5.00
595 595 3 287.50 $287.50 $1,711 —
898 898 2 206.00 $206.00 $1,850 —
932 932 4 203.00 $203.00 $1,892 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 3 319.00 $319.00 $1,222 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 337.00 $337.00 $1,297 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 3 350.00 $350.00 $1,190 -17.24
372–390 385 9 330.00–337.00 $332.35 $1,280 +12.35
472 472 5 306.00 $306.00 $1,444 —
508–524 thin fleshed 518 15 309.00–319.00 $312.93 $1,621 —
517–525 fancy 520 8 328.00 $328.00 $1,706 -2.00
541 541 37 299.00 $299.00 $1,618 +3.15
584 584 7 288.00 $288.00 $1,682 +14.00
601–604 thin fleshed 603 33 283.00–286.00 $284.18 $1,714 —
644–649 647 10 263.00–268.00 $265.51 $1,718 +15.51
658 fancy 658 3 262.00 $262.00 $1,724 —
706 706 16 244.00 $244.00 $1,723 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435–436 436 8 298.00–302.50 $300.25 $1,309 —
705 705 2 204.00 $204.00 $1,438 —
768–776 774 9 211.00–216.00 $212.10 $1,642 —
800 800 4 207.00 $207.00 $1,656 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
763 763 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,602 —
820 820 2 204.00 $204.00 $1,673 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
533 533 2 256.00 $256.00 $1,364 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900 900 85-90% 1 86.00 $86.00 $774 —
1025 1025 85-90% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,025 —
1100 1100 85-90% 1 83.00 $83.00 $913 +12.00
830–1282 1137 85-90% 80 105.00–132.00 $125.76 $1,430 +35.76
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1451 1371 80-85% 41 120.00–139.00 $129.25 $1,772 +0.17
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1545–1600 1565 75-80% 3 121.00–129.00 $124.72 $1,952 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1865 1865 65-75% 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,518 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255–1920 1704 8 127.00–156.00 $144.78 $2,467 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
735–1055 884 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 148.00–159.00 $153.85 $1,360
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
700 700 (<2 yrs)Open 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,452
765–925 845 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 163.00–170.00 $166.17 $1,404
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
725 725 (<2 yrs)Open 1 126.00 $126.00 $914

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1225 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,975.00 $1,975.00
1410 1410 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1568 1568 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 9 2,125.00 $2,125.00
1760 1760 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
935 935 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1023 1023 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,275.00 $1,275.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1200 1200 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1380 1380 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,860.00 $1,860.00
1405 1405 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1265 1265 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,700.00 $2,700.00 +100.00
1268 1268 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 9 2,400.00 $2,400.00 -200.00
1295–1330 1313 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,400.00–2,650.00 $2,523.33 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1045 1045 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1022–1143 1068 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 15 3,400.00–3,600.00 $3,503.25 —
1103–1409 1291 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 13 3,100.00–3,400.00 $3,301.44 —
1264–1359 fancy 1312 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 3,800.00–3,900.00 $3,851.81 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.